I become awake and aware at the dawn of my life’s day. A path stretches out before me, far away into the distance, disappearing into the future’s horizon. What should I do? Should I follow this path? I’m not prepared. I’m all alone, with no one to keep me company, or to tell me what I must do. I set out along the path.

I meet a beautiful giant woman, who seems to radiate sunshine with her smile at me. In her company is a big strong giant man. He looks at me with pride gleaming in his eyes. I don’t know why. And they both walk beside me for a while. The woman draws me close to her chest, feeds me, nurtures me. The man brings me food to eat, and he throws a ball with me. When I stumble on my new feet and fall, one of them seems always there to pick me back up and set me on my feet again. They teach me things which they say will help me find my way up this path. As I grow, my steps become larger and faster, and soon the man and woman can’t seem to keep up. They start to fall farther and farther behind me. I walk this path alone.

I come across a group pf people in the afternoon, and they seem to be about like me, in age and size. They tell tales and share their life’s stories with me. I laugh with them and I cry for them. Many miles, I travel this path alone, seemingly a path with no end. It grows wearying at times, but one of these people always seems to be there to lend their arm to steady me, or their shoulders to support me. They say that I’m special to them. They help to guide me up the path. It’s such a shame, how lonely and uncared for I am, as I walk the path alone.

The sun shines upon my upturned face. The wind gently ruffles my hair and cools the afternoon. making it pleasant and bearable. The water I drink is so refreshing and cool, tasty to my mouth. Birds serenade me from the trees, the brook to my side burbles and bubbles happily. A dog barks, wagging it’s tail and happy to see me, adding its own chord to the melody which seems to be playing around me. I travel on, sad and weary, for I walk this path alone.

Evening comes, and the light of day starts to fade. I grow cold and I start to grow fearful of the dark. I have been walking this path alone all this day of my life, and now it seems that darkness may hide this path from me. I feel that it’s time to lay down and rest, to let the darkness take this path from me, but I can’t. I have traveled too long and too far. I must find the end of the path, the place it leads to. But it grows so dark, I can’t see where to place my feet. Will I now be forced to stop my trek? To stand here alone in the dark, after walking this path alone for so long?

A candle appears to my left, a lantern to my right. They are held by a man and a women, much like those who I came across earlier this day. They each take one of my arms with their free hands, and steer me around the final bend, to the end of this path I have walked alone. Before me stretches out yet another path, How could this be? I’d walked my path, and walked it alone. Would this be all that is in store for me?

I stopped dead in my tracks, and the man and woman stopped as well. I took a step back so that I could face them both, and I asked them then, if this were to be my fate. To continually walk along paths, all sad and alone. The woman smiled at me, then held me close and comforted me. The man laid a strong hand upon my shoulder, and just by his touch, I felt reassured. "My son," he said, "you have never been alone. We have always been with you, and many others have come into your life as you walked your path. Yes, it is your path to walk. Only you can make the journey, but those others you will meet along the way will travel by your side for a time, helping you along as you help them, and keeping you company."

I thought back over the long day of my walk, realizing only then that I hadn’t always been alone as I thought. I smiled at the man and woman, thanked them for their comfort and company, and raised my foot to set out along this new path. The new day dawned, and I could clearly see the path laid out ahead of me. I started the new day of my life along the path with a jaunty step. I came upon a couple, a giant man and a giant woman. As my mother draws me close to her chest, the sun seems to shine from her smile. My father looks down at me with pride gleaming in his eyes. We set out upon the path, these people to help get me started and pointed in the right way and others to meet later, to help me on my way…

DreamDancer March 2002

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